Oyo cleric dismembers female customer, police retrieve body parts

The Atiba Police Division, Oyo State Police Command has arrested a suspect, Alfa Tiamiyu Abass, for allegedly dismembering a hairdresser, identified only as Barakat, in Oyetoro community, in the Oyo West Local Government Area of the state.

The police also recovered the victim’s body parts.

PUNCH Metro gathered that residents had been suspecting Abass’ suspicious activities after he moved into the community about two years ago.

On Sunday, May 15, members of the community were said to have perceived an offensive odour, which they traced to the suspect’s house.

The mutilated remains of Barakat were later found.

A resident, Mr Siyanbola Akinkunmi, told PUNCH Metro that the suspect, after he was caught, confessed to killing the hairdresser.

He said, “When the body was discovered, all fingers pointed toward Abass. A community meeting was held later that evening and everyone was on the lookout for him.

“Around 11pm, the door of his apartment opened and he came out with a nylon bag. A young boy confronted him and alerted other community members. When the nylon bag was searched, substances suspected to be human brains were discovered inside.”

PUNCH Metro gathered that Abass fled, but was pursued and caught by residents and was taken to his room, where more human parts, including a female head, were found.

Our correspondent learnt that Barakat’s body was later identified by her husband and sister.

Her husband was said to have two weeks’ earlier reported to the Amotekun Corps in the town that his wife went missing.

Another eyewitness, Hammid Oyekola, who also shared the incident on Facebook, said the suspect was in police custody.

“The police chained him to their bus. When he was later taken back home for searching, they found some skulls in his room,” he added.

The Divisional Police Officer, Atiba Police Division, CSP Olasunkanmi Musiliu, confirmed the incident to our correspondent, adding that the case had been transferred to the Iyaganku police divisional headquarters for further investigation.

The state Police Public Relations Officer, Adewale Osifeso, in a statement on Tuesday, confirmed the incident.

He said, “On May 15, 2022 around 6.30pm, one Oyerinde Gbadegein reported at the Atiba Divisional Police Headquarters that around 1pm of the same day, a corpse was seen dumped by the side of a stream on Jibola Afonja Street, Oyo town.

“On receipt of the complaint, a team of detectives from the Atiba division swung into action and proceeded to the scene. It was discovered that the corpse was that of a lady of about 25 years packed in a sack bag, which was already decomposing with the head, hands, toes and flesh from the thigh cut off from the body. One Alfa Tiamiyu Abass was arrested in connection with the case.

“Upon interrogation, the said Alfa Tiamiyu Abass confessed to have killed the deceased, one Barakat, who happened to be his customer. He stated further that he and one Qudus, now at large, perpetrated the act. A search was conducted in his house and all the parts removed from the deceased’s body were recovered. However, investigation is ongoing to arrest the said Qudus for possible prosecution.” (The PUNCH: Excluding headline)